Valve mechanism for internal-combustion engines



Sept; 11,1923. I fififixwfi R. E. ANDERSON ET AL v VALVE macmmrsm FORINTERNAL coma us'rxon ENGINES Filed March a. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 &

w 7 I a 1. chard E. E 5 BR scar @.-arsun Sept. 11, 1923. r I llfifilwl?R. E- ANDERSON ET AL VALVE MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION EMGINESFiled 7 March 8, 1922 4 Sheet-Sheet 2 sew. H, 1923. 11,467.74?

R. E. ANDERSON ET AL VALVE MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES mMarch a, 1922 4 Sheets Sheet 5 Richard E. Arufler'sun Elscar ELLEISDILSept; H, R. E. ANDERSON ET VALVE MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTIONENGINES Filed March a. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Sept. 11, 1923.

RICHARD E. ANDERSON, OF PORTLAND, AND OSCAR G. LARSON, SILVERTON, ORE-GON, ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO A. & L. MOTOR- CORIPORATION, OF ALBANY, OREGON, A CORPORATION OF OREGON.

VALVE MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION Enemies.

Application filed March 8, 1922. Serial No. 542,637.

T 0 all "U771 0 m t may con cern Be it known that we, RI HARD E. ANDER-SON and OsoAn Gr. LARSON, citizens of the United States, residing atPortland and Silverton, respectively, in the counties of lvlultnomah andMarion, respectively, and State of Oregon, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Valve Mechanisms for Internal-Combustion Engines,of which the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings. I

This invention relates to the valves of internal combustion engines, andparticularly to valve in the head motors or engines.

The general object of this invention is to provide an improved valve orvalve actuating mechanism for internal combustion engines which will doaway with the necessity of using springs, increase the valve opening,reduce the-necessity of valve grinding, resetting, etc, and secure afaster action and operation of the valve.

A further object is to provide a cylinder head adapted to be disposed inplace of the heads ordinarily found on certain classes of internalcombustion engines, and so form the head as to provide it with thevalves of our.

improved construction so that this head with the valves may besubstituted for the ordinary head and valves found therewith.

Still another object is to provide a construction of this charactercomprising an in ternal and an external head, both of these heads beingprovided with port openings, the heads being so mounted that by suitablemechanism one port opening of one valve may be turned into coincidencewith the ex haust port opening of the other valve. and that at anotherperiod in the engine operation the inlet port opening of the exteriorvalve may be turned into coincidence with the inlet port opening of theinterior valve, and that on the compression and working strokes the portopenings may be turned entirely out of coincidence with each other so asto close exit from and entrance to the cylinder through the portopening.

Another object is to provide improved means for operatingthese valvesand comprising a cam shaft mounted upon the head of the engine blockandcontinuously rotated in one direction by the crank shaft of theengine, this cam shaft carrying a plurality of cams which, throughsuitable mechanism, oscillate the several pairs of valves. y

A further object'is to secure the oscillation of the valves by means ofa cross head sliding in guides and connected by links to the arms of thepair of valves, the cam being provided with a peripheral cam riboperatively engaging said sliding cross head to thereby shift thevalves. Other objects have to do with the details of construction andarrangement of parts as will appear more fully hereinafter.

Our invention is illustrated in the accom panying drawings, whereinFigure I is a. longitudinal vertical section of the upper portion of anengine block showing the valve mechanism therefor, the

cams being in elevation;

Figure 21s atop plan view of the construction illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 38 of Figure 1; p

Figure 4f is a section on the line 44 01 Figure 1, one of the valves 15and one of the valves 17 being in elevation;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary end elevation of the engine block, the shaft31' being in sec tion;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the valve 17;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the valve 15;

Figure 8 is a projection of the cam track 35;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary top plan view of one of the valve operatingmechanisms.

Referring to these drawings. 10 designates vthe engine block of anyordinary internal combustion engine. Above each cylinder 11 the head isformed to provide a circular chamber 12 for the reception of a bushing1.3. This chamber is smaller than the cylinder 11 and the upper wall 1aof the cylinder 11, therefore. extends beneath the margin of the opening12. Disposed within the bushing 13 is a cylindrical exterior valve 15which is cup-shaped or open at its lower end and which is provided witha tubular stem 16. I

Disposed within the cylindrical valve 15 is a cup-shaped or cylindricalvalve 17 which is also open at; its lower end. The lower edges of thesevalves 15 and 17 rest uponthe head 14 of the cylinder. The valve 17 isprovided with an upwardly extending stem 18 Which is concentric to anddisposed within the tubular stem 16 and projects beyond this tubularstem .16. The recess12 or socket is closed by a head or cap 19 which isheld in place by means of the bolts 20, this cap being approximatelyrectangular in plan view. Y

The valves 15 and 17 are illustrated in Figures 6 and 7. The valve 17 isformed withports 21 and 22, (see Figure 3) the port 21 constituting theintake port and the valve 22 the outlet port or exhaust port, theseports being disposed at about an angle of 120 with relation to eachother. The valve 15 is also provided with an intake port 23 and anexhaust port 24, these portsbeing disposed at an angle of approximately120 with relation to each other. The chamber 12 is formed with theoppositely disposed intake and exhaust ports 25 and 26 respectively. Itwill'be noted from Figures 1 and 3 that the valves are 30 arranged thatupon a suction stroke of the engine the intake p0rts 21 and 23 are inregister with the in take port 25 of the cylinder and that upon theexhaust stroke the ports 22, 24 and 26 are in alignment, and that uponthe compression and firing strokes of the engine the several ports areout of alignment, and par ticularly that the ports 21 and 22 of valve 17are entirely out of alignment with the ports 23 and 24 of the valve 15.

'In order. that this result may be accomplished, the valves 17 and 15must be oscillated in opposite directions and held in their oscillatedpositions. To this end, we mount above the engine head 10 thelongitudinally extending cam shaft 27. This is driven by any suitabledriving means, as for instance a sprocket wheel 28 mounted upon the camshaft and driven by means of sprocket chain 29, in turn gearing with apulley 30 or sprocket wheel mounted upon the cam shaft 31 of the engine.This shaft 27 is supported at suitable intervals in upwardly extendingbrackets 32 of any suitable con struction and having bearings withinwhich the cam shaft operates. Mounted upon this camshaft are a pluralityof cams, each cam comprisinga wheel-like member 33 having a rim 34,thcperiphery of this rim being provided with a cam rib 35. This cam ribi irregularly sinusoidal with relation to a line a coincident with themiddle plane of the rim 34 and the cam track is shown pro jccted inFigure 8. I

Disposed below each cam 33 and above the water space 36 which intervenesbetween the valve chambers 12, and which water space is connected to theusual water circulating system of the engine, is a cross head. guidecomprising a plate 37 having apertures whereby it may be attached to thecylinder head by means of screws, whose heads are counter-sunk and haveupwardly extending side walls provided with screw holes. Strips 38 areapplied to the upwardly extending side walls of the cross head guide andheld in place by means of screws 39, these strips overhanging the.central chan nel 40.

Disposed in this central guide channel 40 is a reciprocating cross head41 having a central bore through which is disposed the lower end of ashouldered pin 42, the upper end of which carries a head 43, this head,as illustrated in Figure 9, being formed with a diametrically extendingnotch or recess 44, the opposite walls of which are convexly curved withrelation to each other. The cam rib '35 fits between these walls 44, andas the cam revolves the sinuous cam rib will cause the cross head 41 toshift longitudi nally in the cross head guide 37.

Attached to the squared upper end of the stem'flS of valve 17 is an arm45, and attached to the upper end of the tubular stem 16 is an arm 46,these arms actuating the separate valve cylinders. nected to the pin 42above the cross head 41 and below the head 43 are links 47, which inturn are pivotally connected to the outer ends of the arms 45 and 46. Itwill thus be obvious that as the'cross head is reciprocated in onedirection or the other that the arms 45 and 46 will be shifted from aposition in alignment with each other to a position at an angle to eachother and extending toward one end of the engine or into an angularposition with relation to each other and extending toward the oppositeend of the engine. Three positions of these arms are illustrated inFigure 2 and three positions of the several cams are illustrated in Fig.1.

The cam track 35 is illustrated as a rib, has one-half of its length inapproximate coincidence wit-h the median line a, of the wheel 34 (Figure8). Onequarter of this cam track bows toward the right, the otherquarter bows toward the left. It follows, therefore, that as the camrevolves that for one-half the revolution of the cam the valves will beheld in closed position and that this covers the period of thecompression stroke and of the firing stroke. During the next succeedingquarter of the rotation of the cam, the exhaust ports will be open andin communication with the inte rior of the cylinder, and during the nextsucceeding quarter of the travel of the cam the valves will be shiftedto a position so that the intake ports are in coincidence with eachother and with the intake port of the cylinder. Of course, it will beobvious that each cylinder will be timed differently from any othercylinder so thatwhile one cylinder is firing, another cylinder isexhausting, another cylinder is taking in a charge, and

Pivotally conin another cylinder the charge is being compressed. Theexact timing of each pair of valves will, therefore, be controlled byadjusting the appropriate cam with relation to the cam shaft.

Preferably the cam wheels 34 are locked in place upon the cam shaft bymeans of keys so that there is no necessity of adjustment, but it isobvious that the mechanism may be constructed so as to secure adjustmentof the several cams. The timing of the engine is to be the same as anyaccepted type of four-cycle combustion engine. The: double action of thecam opens and closes the ports on opposite sides of the valves. Openingof the valves for the intake stroke follows the opening of the valvesfor the exhaust stroke, and the valves stand at rest or closed withrelation to each other over the next two strokes, that is thecompression and power strokes. The right hand convexity of the cam ribcauses the valves to shift to their exhaust position and the left handcurvature or convexity of the rib causes the valves to swing to theintakeposition. The cams may be placed on the cam shaft, of course, inrelation to any desired firing order of the cylinder.

Preferably the cam shaft carries a ball race or any efficient thrustbearing at each end to allow for the thrust from the cams. The gland 19is forced down on the rim of bushing 13 so as to leave a working fitbetween the gland and the top of the valve 15. This also provides meansto take up wear on the valve bottom and top by removing the gland andbushing and dressing the necessary amount from the top of the bushing.The cylinder head is placed over the engine, as in general practice, butpreferably sothat the axes of the valves 15 and 17 are coincident withthe vertical axis of theeviinder. The cam shaft may be driven ,by eithera silent sprocket chain or by miter or bevel gears or any other suitablemeans provided a reduction of two to one is secured, that is that thecam shaft 27 shall rotate at half the crank shaft speed, and it isobvious that the cam shaft can be driven either from the front or therear of the engine. Preferably the earns, the slide or cross head, thelinks. and the arms l5 and 46 are disposed within a housing and run in abath of oil. The valves are to be lubricated by oil holes extendingthrough the gland and the outer valve. The cylinder head will be boltedon the engine block in the same man-- ner as any other head is bolted.

It will be. seen that the valve for each cylinder comprises two sleevesof cylindrical shape, and operating within each other. Both of. thesecylinders are closed at theirupper ends and the inner sleeve, it will beseen, provides a combustion chamber within each valve, and when thesleeves are firstused and are thoroughly clean there is a slight leakagein all probability, but when the engine has been running for abouttwenty minutes small particles of carbon will collect and will help toseat the valves perfectly. In other words. carbon formation seams theport edges and valve bottoms to prevent leakage.

It is to be understood that engines may 'end, the axis of the portopening being approximately coincident with the axis of the cylinder,the cylinder being formed to provide a cylindrical chamber above thehead of the cylinder concentric to the axis of the port opening, saidchamber having an in let port and an exhaust port, a pair of concentricsleeves disposed in said chamber axially concentric to the axis of saidport, eachs'leeve having a pair of port openings, and crank shaftoperated means for oscillating said sleeves to bring their port openingsinto or out of register with the port openings in the chamber.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having a port opening inits upper end and formed to provide a cylindrical chamber concentric tothe axis of said port opening and having an inlet port and an exhaustport, a pair of concentric sleeves disposed in said chamber, each sleevehaving a pair of port openings, a cam shaft mounted above the cylinderand having a cam thereon, and cam operated means for shifting thesleeves coincidentally in opposite directions to bring their portopenings into or out of coincidence with each other and with the portopening of the chamber.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder. a chamber formed abovethe inner end of the chamber, concentric hollow sleeves closed at theirupper ends, the inner cylinder opening at its inner end into theinterior of the cylinder, said sleeves being formed with concentricstems. each of said sleeves having an inlet port and an exhaust port,and the chamber being formed with diametrically disposed inlet andexhaust ports, andengine operated means for oscillating said sleeves tobring their ports into or out of coincidence with each other and into orout of coincidence with the ports of the chamber.

4. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a chamber formed abovethe inner end of the chamber, concentric hollow sleeves closed at theirupper ends, the inner cylinder opening at its inner end into theinterior of the cylinder, said sleeves beingtormed with concentricstems, each 01 said sleeves having an inlet port and an exhaust port,and the chamber being formed with diametrically disposed inlet andexhaust ports, the stems of said valves extending beyond the chamber andone of said stems being longer than the other, an arm mounted upon eachstem, an engine driven cam mounted above the cylinder, and meansoperatively engaging the cam and the arms for giving an oscillatingmovement to said arms to carry the ports of the sleeves into or out oicoincidence with each other and into or out of coincidence with theports of the chamber.

5. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a chamber it'orn'iedabove the inner end of the chamber, sleeves closed at their upper ends,the inner cylinder opening at its inner end. into the interior of thecylinder, said sleeves being termed with concentric stems, each ot saidsleeves having an inlet port and an exhaust port, and the chamber beingformed with diametrically disposed inlet and exhaust ports, the stems ofsaid valves extending beyond the chamber and one of said .steins beinglonger than the other, an arm mounted upon each stem, an engine drivencam niounted above the cylinder, a longitudinally movable slide mountedupon the cylinder head, and links connecting said slide with. theextremities oi the arms, said cam opera on the slide to cause itsreciprocation and the oscillation of said arms.

6. An internal combustion engine including a cylinder having a portopening in its upper end and a chamber above said port opening, an innercylindrical sleeve closed at its upper end and opening to said portopening at its lower end, an outer concentric sleeve, the chamber beingprovided with oppositely disposed intake and exhaust openings and eachsleeve being provided with an intake and an exhaust opening, the sleevebeing also provided with concentric stems, an arm mounted on each stem,a slide carried upon the engine block and shiftable toward. or from thestems, links pivotally connecting said slide to the arms, the slidehaving a head and an engine driven cam mounted above the head, theperiphery of the cam being provided with a cam track with which the headengages whereby to cause a reciprocation of the slide and anoscillation. of the sleeves in opposite directions to bring their portsinto or out of coincidence with each other and with the ports in thechamber.

7 In an engine, a cylinder having a port opening in its upper end and acylindrical concentric hollow,

chan'iber termed above the cylinder and larger in dian'ieter than theport opening, a bushing disposed within the cylinder, concentric hollowcylindrical sleeves disposed within the bushing, the inner sleeve havingan internal diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the portopening into the cylinder, both of said sleeves being closed at theirupper ends and being provided with concentric stems, the chamber beingformed with diametrically disposed exhaust and inlet ports and with aninlet and exhaust port, a gland clos ing the upper end of the chamberand normally resting upon the upper end of the lmshing, means foradjusting the gland against the bushing, and engine operated means foroscillating said sleeves to bring their ports into or out of coincidencewith each other and into or out of coincidence with the ports of thechamber.

8. in an engine of the characterdescribed, a cylinder having an axiallydisposed port at its upper end and achamber formed above said port, thechamber being cylindrical and concentric to the axis of the cylinder, abushing disposed within the chamber, concentric cylindrical hollowsleeves disposed within the bushing and resting at their lower ends uponthe upper end of the cylinder, the irdernal diameter ot' the inner valvebeing approinmately equal to the diameter of the opening in the upperend of the cylinder, said sleeves having concentric stems, a glandsurrounding the stems and closing the upper end or the clntmber, a camshaft mounted above the cylinder, a cam carried thereby, and meansoperated by the cam for oscillating the sleeves in opposite directionsto bring their ports into or out o'l coincidence with each other and theports or the chamher.

9. in an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, rotary sleeve valvescontrolling the admission to or exhaust from the cylinder, said valvesbeing concentric and having concentric stems, an arm mounted on eachstem and extending in opposite directions, cross head guide mounted uponthe head of the cylinder, a cross head sliding in. said guide toward orfrom the stems of the valvesleeves and having a head. links pivotallyconnected to the head and to the ends oi? said arms, and a cam disposedin a vertical plane and operated by the engine, the cam having a sinuouscam track with which the head of the cross head engages.

l0. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, rotary sleeve valvescontrolling the admission to or exhaust from the cylinder, said valvesbeing concentric and having concentric stems, an arm mounted on eachstem and extent ing in opposite directions, a cross head guide mountedupon the head'of the cylinder, a cross head sliding in said guide thesleeves being each r'ormed toward or from the stems of the valve sleevesand having a head, links pivotally connected to the head and to the endsof said arms, and a cam disposed in a vertical plane and oper ated bythe engine, the cam having a sinuous cam track with which the head ofthe cross head engages the cam track for a portion of its length beingdisposed in a single plane for the entire portion of its length andbeing outwardly bowed toward one side of the cam and for another portionof its length being oppositely bowed.

11. An internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders, eachcylinder having a port opening in itsupper end, the cylinder head havingchambers formed in it concentric to the axis of each cylinder, a pair ofhollow valve sleeves disposed in each chamber and concentric to the axisof the cylinder and having concentric stems, the chamher being formedwith inlet and exhaust openings and the valve sleeves being each formedwith an inlet and exhaust opening, a gland closing the upper end of eachchamber and surrounding the stems, a longitudinally extending cam shaftmounted upon the engine head and carrying a plurality of cams, one foreach cylinder, means actuated by the cams for oscillating the valvesleeves of each pair in opposite directions to bring their ports into orout of coincidence with each other and the ports of said chamber, andmeans for driving the cams from the cam shaft of the engine.

12. In an internal combustion engine, an engine block having a series ofcylinders,

each having a port opening at its upper end, a cylinder head adapted toextend over the entire engine block, each head being formed with acylindrical chamber disposed immediately above the port opening of itscorresponding cylinder and larger than said port opening, a bushingdisposed in each chamber, hollow, cylindrical, concentric valve sleevesdisposed within each bushing, the inner valve sleeve opening into thecorresponding cylinder port, each of said valve sleeves being providedwith concentric stems, each valve sleeve having an inlet port and anexhaust port and the chamber being formed with inlet and exhaust ports,glands closing the upper ends of the chambers and surrounding the valvestems, a plurality of cross head guides mounted upon the head, one foreach cylinder, a cross head slidable in each guide and having anupwardly extending pin formed with a head, arms on the stems of eachpair of sleeves, links connecting the ends of each pair of arms with thecone sponding pin on the cross head, a cam shaft extendinglongitudinally of the engine head, a plurality of cams mounted upon thecam shaft and having peripheral cam tracks engaging the heads of thepins on the several cross heads, and means whereby the cam shaft may beactuated by the crank shaft of the engine.

In testimony whereof we hereunto aflix our signatures.

RICHARD E. ANDERSON. OSCAR Gr. LARSON.

